Prime time schedule heavy on marquee teams

Posted by Mike Florio on April 20, 2010, 7:43 PM EST

The league office does its best to put the teams that are the biggest TV draws into the prime time national television games.

So the release of the NFL schedule today reiterates that the league’s biggest TV draws include the Jets, Patriots, Steelers, Eagles, Chargers, Colts and Cowboys. Each of those teams is scheduled for five prime time games.

The defending Super Bowl champion Saints have four prime time games. They’re also on national television on Thanksgiving against the Cowboys.

We don’t know the full slate of prime time games because of the flexible schedule that will ensure marquee games on Sunday nights in Weeks 11-17.

“So the release of the NFL schedule today reiterates that the league’s biggest TV draws include the Jets, Patriots, Steelers, Chargers, Colts and Cowboys.”
Duly noted that the Viqueens couldn’t draw flies if they played every game in shit helmets.

@Stone: Since the Jets were the better team in town. The Jets are looking like the top team in the AFC going into this season, we’ll see what happens though. Every season goes through about 6 or 7 twists and turns.

The Jets have been a bigger draw since the Giants quit trying to win right around October of ’09.
Anyone who says that the ..
“NFL failed yet another year” is a complete idiot and should not be allowed to post their knumb-nuttery on this fine site.
I love the Jets

Duly noted that the Viqueens couldn’t draw flies if they played every game in shit helmets.
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except that if you look at the full list, the vikes have four prime-time games…same as the SB champs.

kishcollageit says:
April 20, 2010 7:53 PM
Same teams are just boring! There are teams that have not been on prime time going on 10 years! NFL failed yet another year!
If the rest of the world thought this way these teams wouldn’t draw the larger numbers on prime time.
NFL has succeeded once again!

After all these moves for all these washed up, overpaid FA’s, the Jets are destined to fall back to reality and barely make it to .500
Too bad the NFL can’t see it coming, because they just wasted 5 prime time slots on a shitty team

WTF? The Bears are on Prime-Time 4 times? The Chiefs get a Monday Night? The Steelers didn’t make the playoffs and are in danger of losing their QB, lost their top WR and Willie Parker yet they still get 5 games on Prime Time?

Remember the Colts had 14 people greet them at the stadium after the Super Bowl loss? Sweet fan base. It’s okay, the Packers have 4. They only broke the all time viewing audience on cable television last year. I think their draw is quite well.

# BaltimoreSports says: April 20, 2010 8:16 PM
“Ravens again get screwed on prime time at home. All three prime time games are away. At least I don’t have to be at the stadium late at night I guess.”
At least you’re getting an early start on your excuse for losing all three. Good planning.

Jungle Juice says:
April 20, 2010 8:27 PM
WTF? The Bears are on Prime-Time 4 times? The Chiefs get a Monday Night? The Steelers didn’t make the playoffs and are in danger of losing their QB, lost their top WR and Willie Parker yet they still get 5 games on Prime Time?
It’s not about fair, it is about making MONEY!
The Steelers have one of the largest fan bases in the league, if not the biggest. Of course they are going to get some major exposure.

My only problem with this is that it just deepens the divide between marquee and non-marquee teams.
I understand that the NFL wants ratings- that makes sense, of course. But by not even throwing a bone of one primetime game to several teams, all it does is reinforce to the public- and especially kids who are just getting into football- that the “non-marquee” teams are second class and not worthy of being a fan of.
If all we see in prime time is the effing Cowboys and Steelers and Colts, etc., then those are the teams that attract all the new fans and bandwagon fans, for the most part… and thus, the same teams are booked for primetime next year, the year after that, etc.
No, I don’t want to watch crap teams in primetime, but I think that *every* team (or as many as possible) should be featured in one prime time game, at least.

@ trickbunny (not even going to ask)
If you want to see other teams in prime time then they got to win more and be a more attractive team. The Patriots were pretty bad in the past and have turned it around. The Steelers have a winning tradition. The Jets and Chargers havent exactly been great throughout history but they have been winning as of late. Well at least the Chargers have – not sure how the Jets got in there. Guess buying a bunch of old washed up bodies does the trick. The eagles – well thats just a large armpit city that when not shaving the backs of their women happens to be passionate about their team that has never done a thing.
The Cowboys – well come on, its Gods team.
HOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS!!!!

@Schau3r
You really think that the reason the Packers were a part of the highest rated cable show of all time is because of their fan base? Maybe… just MAYBE it had something to do with Favre coming back to play against his former squad. I’m not saying but I’m just saying.

Stone says:
April 20, 2010 7:52 PM
Since when are the Jets a bigger draw than the Giants?
Since the Jets played the underdog card all the way to the AFC Championship game, in which they almost upset the Colts. Since they added big names like Tomlinson, Holmes, Taylor, and Cromartie.

“Accordngs says:
April 20, 2010 10:14 PM
Chargers a big draw?
That’s a joke. They can barely get enough fans to fill their own stadium.”
Prime-time isn’t for the local audience. The Chargers are a “marquee” team for precisely two reasons:
1) They play very entertaining football.
2) They win a lot.
This combination tends to make for good TV.

so how do the eagles with zero star power get 5 games?
actually im happy about that, that means i dont have to sit through their boring games on sundays, i get watch my giants since i live in the crappy philly market.

God’s Own Silver and Blue says:
April 20, 2010 7:53 PM
“So the release of the NFL schedule today reiterates that the league’s biggest TV draws include the Jets, Patriots, Steelers, Chargers, Colts and Cowboys.”
Duly noted that the Viqueens couldn’t draw flies if they played every game in shit helmets.
===============================
Duly noted:
The cowboys couldn’t draw up any plays to score more than a FG in a playoff game.
You are an idiot.

“Since the Jets played the underdog card all the way to the AFC Championship game, in which they almost upset the Colts.:”
Hahaha. Since when is losing by 13 and giving up 17 unanswered points “close”? Not to mention Jets owe a big thank you to Nick Kaeding for missing 3 kicks, any one of which would have sent the Jets home early.
Put the Jets in the NFC East and they’d make Washington look good. By virtue of their sorry division they always have a weaker schedule then the Giants.

Stone says: April 20, 2010 7:52 PM
Since when are the Jets a bigger draw than the Giants?
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Since never. Hell, even my Raiders would draw a bigger audience, because they have a world wide fan base that is ten times larger. The same goes with the Chargers.
That being said, my Raiders suck and don’t deserve to be on at prime-time.